By Fallan Patterson   
Staff Writer

All Osceola County high schools jumped to an “A” or “B” school grade for the 2009-10 school year due to a new grading system that counts more than just FCAT scores.

In a report released Tuesday, several high schools increased by as much as four letter grades to go from failing to passing after the state adopted the new system that judges each school’s performance based on a variety of factors. These components include the school district’s graduation rate, student participation and performance in higher-level courses such as Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment; and yes, FCAT scores.

“Anytime you can measure all students (at once) you get a more valid measurement,” Superintendent Michael Grego said. “(The new grading model) is a lot more comprehensive. It tries to capture 100 percent of the students.”

Poinciana High School went from an “F” to a “B” under the new measurement guidelines, something Principal Belynda Pinkston credits not just her staff for but also the support she received from the state and the county.

Pinkston took over Poinciana High last year after 25 years working for the Orange County School District and entered a community filled with families facing foreclosures, job loss and students having to relocate to and from other schools.

“It was a matter of creating a climate of belief in our kids,” she said. “It’s not a one-person effort; it truly takes a team and we’re creating the best learning environment for our kids.”

Osceola County School District high schools adopted a “best practices” methodology to challenge students to take rigorous math courses, sign up for college-ready classes and live up to their potential.

Pinkston said these concepts include concentrating on the core content of math, science, social studies and language arts as well as ensuring students master these classes and work with those students who struggle or fall behind.

Additionally, the District has worked with the schools to offer before-and-after school tutoring assistance as well as providing support for students in more challenging classes.

According to Grego, the District has seen a 14-percent jump in the number of eighth-graders taking an algebra course which prepares them to take more challenging math courses once they progress to high school.

“Whatever the expectations you set for young people, whether as a parent or an educator, they’ll attain it,” Grego said. “We’ve tried to raise the bar. Students play the role in it.”

Other schools that saw a big increase in their school grades were Celebration High, which went from a “D” to an “A,” and Gateway and Liberty high schools, which both improved from “D” to “B.”

Osceola and St. Cloud high schools went from “C” to “B” and New Dimensions moved from a “B” to an “A.” Harmony High School maintained a “B.”

Two high schools, Professional/Technical (PATHS) and the Osceola County School for the Arts maintained an “A.”

Osceola County’s improved its graduation rate of 83.5 percent from 79.2 percent in 2008-09.

Grego said the former grading model was limited as it focused on certain grade levels and only a few subjects. He called the new accountability grading system “reflective” and said it shows good teaching practices are in place at public schools, not just high schools.

“There’s no silver bullet in this business,” he said. “It’s impossible to have high-performing high schools without a strong foundation in elementary and middle schools.”